The Return To Ember Island
by Kella Toh
Summary: It had been over 7 years since Aang had been to Ember Island with Sokka, Katara, Zuko, and Toph. This time, of course, everything was different. Kataang, Sukka, and Maiko


The Return To Ember Island

It had been over 7 years since Aang had been to Ember Island with Sokka, Katara, Zuko, and Toph. This time, of course, everything was different. More like everyone. Grown, even. But still, even though time had changed them, they were still friends.

Aang glanced over at Sokka. He was talking with his wife, an Kyoshi warrior. Or, ex-warrior. Aang smiled at the inseparable pair. She laid a delicate faint hand across her forehead, and Sokka went to fetch his, very pregnant wife, Suki, water.

He noted how much Sokka had grown. Now 6' 2", he looked much like his father, Hadoka, who was living at the Southern Water Tribe currently. Hadoka had been so proud of Sokka and the rest of them. Aang chuckled to himself at how Sokka had attempted to name the group at Ba Sing Se once when they had taken down a Fire Nation Drill.

Fire Nation. Now the country was back in the hands of Zuko. He had taken it, with good reason and justice, from the late Firelord Ozai. Zuko now sat cross-legged, playing with his infant daughter, Iroka. Named for Zuko's wise, father-like uncle, she was quite a "Dragon Of The West" herself. "Fire-bending at age 2? My, what a talented little girl!" Iroh would say, patting his Great-niece on the head approvingly.

Currently, "Baby Dragon Of The West" was playing, "Hot Hands" with Zuko, or Daddy-Poo, as Mai liked to tease him. Zuko had gotten burned once or twice by Iroka, but with a smile he would splash her and say, "No, Okee! Fire is for the dragons!". Then, Iroka would baby-roar and smile. Followed by a chuckle from his wife, Mai, who commented, "She's better than YOU are, Daddy-Poo."

Toph yelled in delight, "I've got it!" The Blind Earth-bending Prodigy had been working on her metal bending, and had figured out a way to bend it into shapes, like shields and swords, even though such weapons were only used in plays, fighting arenas (For amusement, which Aang, being an Ex-Monk ((A/N: Aang's Sort-Of a monk. Monks don't get girlfriends. I think... o.0)), strongly disapproved), and for display, she still found it fun. But now, it seemed, she had been working on making it into... a crib?

Mai yelled out to Toph, "Thank you so much!" in gratitude. Aang smiled, knowingly. Toph had really bonded with Mai and Iroka, even though she'd never admit it. "Metal is the only way Iroka won't kill herself and burn everyone in the palace in her sleep!" was Toph's excuse. Although, even without Earth-bending, Aang could see she was helpless when it came to Iroka's charms.

Toph had also grown, and was now a beautiful young woman. Her hair was now, almost always, down, with a white flower tucked in it on the left side of her porcelain-looking face. She had worked things out with her mother and father, and was currently living in their mansion with them, yet was constantly going out to other places in the world.

Aang sighed contently. Toph was beautiful, yes, but he only had eyes for one woman in the world. Katara... From her soft blue eyes to her thick dark hair, all the way down to her knobby knees, Katara was the most beautiful woman in the world to him. From the moment she discovered him in the Iceberg, he knew he was never to be the same.

"Love is an odd thing, Aang," Monk Gyatso had once told him. "For an Airbender, it is blissful, yet unattainable, but it still flies to you with open wings." He can still remember his stern face. "But if you try to catch it, it will flutter away, out of even the most powerful Air-bender's grasp."

Air-benders weren't made for love, Aang remembered. They were made for meditation, peace, and tranquility. Or, at least, they were. He sighed, and pressed his fingers to his temples in frustration. But, he was thankful, the old ways were gone, with them, he would never have met Katara...

Suddenly, a warm feeling came about him. Every time he even thought of her, he began to blush. Her warm embrace, her delicate eyes, her kind smile, and the way she is when she water-bends all kindled the fire in his heart for her. Nothing could ever make him feel any different.

Her giggles brought him back to reality. "Aang! I can't believe how fun this new water-bending move is..." she said, out of breath. He looked at her, smiling just the tiniest bit, the gaze full of lust. "But... I guess it can wait..." Katara sat down on his lap, smiled back, and his lips brushed his, just for the slightest second, and suddenly they were kissing passionately.

Sokka grimaced, and shouted "Aang! Quit snogging Katara! Katara! Get off of him! Get a room! Second thought, don't get a room! Just stop it!" he shouted angrily. Suki laid a hand on Sokka, trying to distract him, and his temper calmed. He gave one last, "If-You-Do-Anything-I-Swear" look to Aang in warning.

As Aang pulled away, he began to laugh, and Katara glared at Sokka. "Some things don't change." he whispered to his fiancee. Katara whimpered, "It's not like I do that when Suki-" Katara mumbled, but was cut off by Aang swooping her up.

"I think Sokka needs some alone time to think about what he's done." Aang said, mock-pouting. He began to carry Katara up to their cottage on the Island, when she leaned up and whispered in his ear, "He needs some alone time, or we do?"

o_0

Fin.


End file.
